1

Children learn best by observing the behavior of adults and copying it. Do you agree or
disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Learning is a part of growing process. It is an important process because learning is a
process of children gaining new experiences. But, how do children learn?
In my opinion, children learn best by observing the behaviour of adults and copying it.
Adults for example parents are the first teacher of a child and the nearest adults. Since the day
the child was born, the child will learn to talk by observing and copying adults talks. The
children also learn language by copying and listening to their parents and people around
them
1
. They watch their family members, the way they communicate, their lifestyle, and way
of living. And, slowly will imitate that. Lets take a simple example, if the parents use
Mandarin as their communication language, the children will also learn and then use
Mandarin as the language to communicate. Parents are the first and strongest influece because
it is the parents who teach and prepare children for life. That is why I agree the children learn
best by observing the adults.
As children growing up, the way their making decision, logical thinking, money
management, lifestyle are influenced by the adults. The imitation of the behaviours of adult is
a quick learning methodology for them. The children see the adults as their role model and
thats why they will copy the adults behaviour. For the examples, a child watches his mother
folding the laundry. He later picks up some clothing and imitates folding the clothes. A
children will observe the adults playing football, and will learn and imitate the technique from
the adults. Most of the children set the adults as their role model, and by this, children learn
best by observing their role model and copying them. Albert Bandura, is a psychologist that
had conduct an experiment about learning through observation. His theory that is social
learning theory stresses the important of observational learning. Based on his Bobo doll
experiment, Bandura demonstrated that young children would imitate the violent and
aggressive actions of an adult model. In the experiment, children observed a film in which an
adult repeatedly hit a large, inflatable balloon doll. After viewing the film clip, children were
allowed to play in a room with a real Bobo doll just like the one they saw in the film.


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1
Bandura, A. (2006). Psychological Modeling: Conflicting Theories, Aldine Transaction.
2

What Bandura found was that children were more likely to imitate the adult's violent actions
than who were not exposed to the aggresive model
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. The result of the experiment is the reason
I agree that children is learning through observation.
Observational learning is a powerful learning tool because children learn best by
observing the adult and copying them. Adults behaviour especially nearest adult will
influence the children behavior in future. In conclusion, we as the adult should taking care of
our behaviors so that we can show the children good examples. We should know that children
are like young trees, they need to be carefully irrigated, fertilized and trimmed. Our behavior
will be greatly helpful to shape them into useful talents.

(503 Words)

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2
Goldsmith, B. (2005). Imitation in International Relations: Observational Learning, Analogies and
Foreign Policy in Russia and Ukraine, Palgrave Macmillan.





3

What do schools need to do to prepare students for the 21st Century? Discuss your
opinions.

As an educator, we have to firmly believe that through education, we can prepare
students for 21st century. But, what does 21st century learning look like in school? Through
my readings, 21st century learning in school means students will be able to practice the 4 Cs,
which are communcation, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. They should be able
to produce content, and not just consuming it passively
3
. Precisely, the goals of 21st century
learning in school are helping each child communicate, collaborate, and exercise creativity
and critical thinking while both consuming and producing content that connects them in their
world in ways that are personally menaingful and relevant. So, what are some ways school
can do to prapare students for the 21st century?
In my opinion, the first greatest things that school can do is to prapare effective
technology for teaching and learning
4
. With thousands of new applications and website being
launched everyday, schools should uses these new technology as a new tool for learning and
for connecting students globally to develop deep understanding key ideas and concepts. The
purpose of using these new technology should be to connect students with their world and
enable them to learn from others and to share their own ideas.
The next thing school need to do is set up class in cooperative learning groups
5
. The
school should engages students in collaborative groups to conduct investigations, discuss and
share learnings, and create products that demonstrate what was learned. With cooperative
learning groups, school also have to make sure that studens have to take active parts in
planning, decision-making, communication, and fosters interpersonal skill. In this way,
students can practise their communication skills in group because this skills is important for
students to success in 21st century.
Beside that, to develop 21st century skills in students, things that school can do is
preparing a syllabus that needs the student to applies content to real-world applications that
call for students to solve problems, think creatively, and work with other to develop
solutions
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. To solve problems, the teacher should gives students the license and the
responsibility to craft their own learning paths and direct their own learning. Beside that, the
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4
Covili, J. (2012). Going Google: Powerful Tools for 21st Century Learning, SAGE Publications.
5
Kuhlthau, C., L. Maniotes, Et Al. (2007). Guided Inquiry: Learning In The 21st Century, Abc-Clio

6
Trilling, B. and C. Fadel (2009). 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life in Our Times, Wiley.
4

school also should prapare some teaching and learning aids for teacher so that with these aids,
it can encourage the student to think creatively or outside the box.
On the other hand, in classroom, school also have to always prepare active and
interesting tasks for every lessons. With this kind of tasks, teacher have to play their role by
helping students to make sense of their world by connecting the task with what they know,
with other content areas, and with other ideas. Through this, it can leads student to deep
understanding of the content of task through a carefully crafted set of questions that demand
answers that are based on evidence from text and their experience. With this kind of tasks, it
can help student to prepare themselves to face challenges in 21st century.
For the conclusion, in my opinion, the things that school need to do to prepare students
for the 21st century are preparing effective technology for teaching and learning, set up class
in cooperative learning groups, preparing a new syllabus and aids for teaching and learning,
and the last one, prapare active and interesting tasks for every lessons. With these methods,
students will be able to conquer the 4 Cs, the s21st century skills, which are communcation,
collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking.

(579 words)

5

Technology is making communication easier in todays world, but at the expense of
personal contact as many people choose to work at home in front of a computer screen.
What dangers are there for a society which depends on computer screens rather than
face-to-face contact for its main means of communication?

Nowadays, people around the world can easily connected with todays communication
technologies. Many people prefer to look at computer screens to communicate with friends,
making new friends, chatting, shopping and even working is now possible by only looking at
computer screen. Communication technologies really had served us in many purpose. One of
the biggest advantage of using todays communication technologies is it reduces human effort
and saves time, hence, that is why we can see in present time, the amount of society
depending on communication technologies is increasing day by day
7
.
It had been proved that communication technologies had contributes a lot in making our
life much easier, but on the other hand, dependence on it has adverse effect. One of the
dangers depending too much on computer screens rather than face-to-face contact for
communication is that people will lacking in social skills. Eventhough there are a lot of social
network such as Facebook or Twitter that allowed us to have our own social circles and
thousand of friends, but still when it comes to social skills especially face-to-face
conversation, most of the people is differ from network and reality. In network, they seems to
be friendly and have a lot of friends, but in reality, it is opposite. People thats too depending
on communication technologies will face difficulties to discuss in group, speak out their ideas
in front of a large group of peoples, face-to-face conversation with new friends and low self
ensteem
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. All of this happens because they only socialize in front of computer screens rather
than go out to meet friends.
Beside that, relying purely on communication technologies can be dangers when it
comes to deal with costumers or clients, especially for those who work at home. There are
some times we do not realize that when we send an email to our costumers or clients, we did
some mistake in language, or grammar or terms, and easily, we had been misunderstood. This
form of one way communication will lead sooner or later inefficientcy. And, thats why it is
much better to have a face-to-face discussion with our costumers or clients to avoid any
____________________
7
Haddon, L., P. E. Mante-Meijer, et al. (2012). The Social Dynamics of Information and
Communication Technology, Ashgate Pub. Company.
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Lin, C. A. and D. J. Atkin (2009). Communication Technology and Social Change: Theory and
Implications, Taylor & Francis
6

misundertanding. Because, when having a face-to-face discussion, it will able us to undestand
their personalities and background so that we can use the right and suitable way to
communicate so that any frustration could have been avoided.
Next, a society that depending on communication technologies will also get isolated
from outside world if they are addicted to social network
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. Most of the people prefer using
social network to promote their business, so, to communicate with person or client, the person
need to be online all the time. Spending most of the times for social networking can be
dangers because the time to connect with people around us will get limited. Day by day, the
person will create their own world and stop having relationship with people around them.
Beside that, people often post detailed and specific information on social network including
phone numbers, addresses, class schedules, social plans, then you can be more easily stalked
by strangers or even acquaintances. It is dangerous because at any time, there will be people
trying to hack into or hijacking your account, especially if you are using social network for
business.
Communication technologies is an essential part of life. But, depending on computer
screens rather than face-to-face contact for its main means of communication, can be
advantages and disadvantages. It is all depends on how the society handling it. So, the
conclusion is one should have a balanced attitude while dealing with communication
technologies. Too much of dependency is good for nothing. But at the same time,
communication technologies are born to humans because they minimize our interface for long
distance communication.

(626 words)

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9
Kling, R. (1996). Computerization and Controversy: Value Conflicts and Social Choices, Academic
Press.
7

In your life experience, what is the best advice you have ever received?

Compete only with yourself. This is an advice that my mother gave me. She gave me
this advice during my college years. This is the best advice I ever received and I keep this
advice until today to motivate me everytime I need it.
At first, I dont agree at all when my mother gave me this advice because in todays
world, life is a race, competition is everywhere. In my opinion, only the winner can get the
best and gain respect from society. That is why I think it is important for me to be the best to
beat the person that I look as my competitors especially my coursemates.
When I first entered college, I promise myself to study as hard as I can so that I can
score excellent marks for every semester and make my parents proud. At the beginning, I
was very hardworking and force myself so that I can be the best in my class. I keep the hard
work until the end of my first semester in my college. When the result of the first semester
came out, I am dissapointed and feel down because I only managed to get 3.69 for my
pointers. Im not dissapointed because of my pointers but it is because most of my classmates
scored higher than me.
After the result came out, I called my mother. I tell her my result but she seem not
dissapointed eventhough i told her that there are more than half of my coursemates scored
higher than me. The only word she said to me was Congratulation. After a silent moment,
she told me that she dont need me to score high mark to make she proud, but by knowing that
I had try my best, is enough to make she proud. And then, she adviced me, the person that you
have to compete is not other people, but it is you yourself. I cried when she said that to me
because from that I know, my mother love me just the way I am. Every person have their limit
and gift, if that person dont score well in academic, he sure have other special talent beneath.
Since that day, I try to change myself. I dont want to compare myself with others
because its going to make me feel down. Instead, I want to appreciate all the things I have
because I believe everyone is unique including me. When comes to examination week, I
promise myself to study not to compete with others but to improve myself with knowledges. I
try my best in everything I do and challenged myself to do something new. It really makes me
feel good and peaceful. Beside that, compete only with yourself had taught me to respect
others and learn more from others so that I can improve myself and be a better person.
Karim El-Shakankiry in his book, Yes U Can, said, you are special and everyone is
special in one way or another. You are unique; there is no one quite like you. Did you ever
stop think, If two of us were alike, obe would be unnessary? No two snowflakes are alike,
8

no two finger prints are alike, and no two humans are aike. Therefore, never compare yourself
to anyone else. Never compete with anyone else. Compete only with yourself and always do a
better job than you did before
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.
I really want to thanks my mother for giving me such a useful advice to motivate me
everyday. It is because I am that type of person that always need advices to keep me up and
motivated. Eventhough people often say motivation and advices doesnt last well. Well,
neither does bathing. Thats why we need motivation and advices daily
11
.

(627 words)

___________________
10
Karim El-Shakankiry (2010). Yes U Can, Xlibris Corporation.
11
Brown, L. V. (2007). Psychology of Motivation, Nova Science Publishers.


9

Why is community service important in todays world?

Community service is any unpaid volunteer effort that is performed for the benefit of
public and institution
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. A person must have a commitment to do community service with
good intentions and not because they are being forced to. Community service is not limited to
populations of people but also benefit the environment or homeless pets. In todays world,
community service is a must because it is the way to give back to a community in which we
live and it is very important for many reasons.
One of the reason community service is important in todays world because it can help
to build a persons character. A person that doing communiy service will be able to learn
respect others, to be helpful and kind, to understand people who are different, developing
leadership skills, becoming more patient and better understanding of citizenship. Through
community service also, children and teenagers can learn something that cannot be taught in
the classroom such as morals and good values. Eventhough there are subjects that teach
morals and good values, but by doing community service, they can apply it. The values like
honesty, humbleness, being non-judgemental, sincere are some of the virtues to be learned
from serving the community. These morals and good values is important to be instilled in
youngsters especially in todays world because most of the parents didt have time to spend
with their childrem and hence there are so many crimes and social problem that caused by
youth nowadays. So, if parents send their children to do community service, these children are
less likely o misbehave.
Beside that, community service can help to improve skills in people
13
. It is important
especially in todays world because we need skills to survive and success. By doing
community service, a person can work on skills of being able to communicate with people,
being able to work on a team and being able to take on leadership role. The skills and
developmental assests gained by young people who volunteer early in life translate to future
benefits for them personally, and for society. Young people involved in community service
are more likely to have a strong work as an adult. Eventhough community service is unpaid
but we can learn more than basic skills. Youth who volunteer can gain important job skills

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12
Kenny, M. and L. A. Gallagher (2003). Teenagers and Community Service: A Guide to the Issues,
Praeger.

13
Youniss, J. and M. Yates (1997). Community Service and Social Responsibility in Youth,
University of Chicago Press
10

and experince, while exploring career options. On the other hand, by participating in
communty service projects, people forge bonds with each other, as well as other members of
the community. These bonds enchance their interpersonal skills and their social network. Its
also help to expand their social circle and enchance their social awareness.
Community service is important in todays world because it can help youth or people
to build their character and improve skills in people. But, other than that, by doing community
service, it is fun and rewarding. Without community service people would not know the
meaning of charity and giving back. I believe, people will feels good to help people out. So, it
is good and important for people nowadays to spend a little bit of time to do community
service. If there are a lot of people doing community service, i believe our country will be
more harmony and peaceful.

(537 words)